Procurement Pivots®

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How do you stay effective under pressure when working in procurement?

Managing competing priorities, demanding stakeholders, tight deadlines and increasing expectations can make pressure feel like a constant part of working in procurement.

But how often do you stop to consider where that pressure is actually coming from, and how it's influencing the way you think, behave and make decisions?

In this episode of Procurement Pivots Podcast, Donna Bowden and Laura Sellers explore the challenges of managing pressure in procurement, why even experienced procurement professionals and leaders can find themselves feeling overwhelmed, and how developing greater self-awareness can help us respond rather than react.

Because not all pressure comes from the people and situations around us.

Sometimes, it's the expectations we place on ourselves that make things harder.

And the very strengths that have helped us succeed in our procurement careers can sometimes work against us when pressure builds.

In this episode, we explore:

• Where pressure comes from in procurement and why it can feel relentless
• How to recognise when you're taking on other people's pressure
• The expectations we place on ourselves as procurement professionals and leaders
• Why some of our greatest strengths can work against us under pressure
• The difference between responding and reacting when demands increase
• How creating space to think can help us make better decisions
• The importance of recognising what we can control and influence
• Why boundaries, perspective and support matter when pressure builds

Whether you're leading a procurement function, managing challenging stakeholder relationships or simply finding yourself juggling more than you'd like, this conversation offers an opportunity to reflect on how you're experiencing pressure and what might help you navigate it more effectively.

Sometimes, it's the pause that enables the pace.

Get in Touch

You can now receive even more insights from us and have the opportunity to engage with us privately by joining our Procurement Pivots email community.

Over the coming weeks, we'll be focusing on helping you to end 2026 on a high and think more intentionally about the year ahead.

https://procurementpivots.com/email-list

If you'd like to explore working with Procurement Pivots Podcast, or with either of us individually, contact us at:

[email protected]

About Procurement Pivots Podcast

We're passionate about supporting the people behind procurement success.

Between us, we bring over 25 years of experience supporting procurement professionals and leaders in a variety of different ways. Through Procurement Pivots Podcast, we bring to life some of the conversations we're having in our coaching work around procurement careers, leadership, impact, influence and progression.

About Donna Bowden

Donna Bowden is a Procurement Positioning Career Coach and Founder of Narrate Your Career, supporting senior procurement professionals and leaders to better understand their value and strengthen how they position themselves for where they want to head next.

Through her coaching, Donna helps procurement leaders build greater clarity and confidence in their career direction, recognise their unique value and make more intentional decisions about their careers. This includes understanding what matters most to them and what sustainable career success looks like.

If you're a senior UK procurement professional and you'd like to explore working with Donna, you can book a confidential Career Momentum Call here:

https://www.narrateyourcareer.com/book-a-call

Or download Donna's Proven Procurement CV Checklist here:

https://www.narrateyourcareer.com/CVchecklist

About Laura Sellers

Laura Sellers is an Executive and Leadership Coach, specialising in coaching for procurement professionals and teams. Drawing on her background in procurement and procurement development, she supports individuals and organisations to develop leadership capability, strengthen self-awareness and elevate their impact, influence and performance.

Find out more about Laura and her work here:

https://www.coachingforprocurement.co.uk/

Or get in touch with Laura directly:

https://www.coachingforprocurement.co.uk/contact-me

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You know the value you bring.

But how well can you evidence it?

In today's procurement landscape, being able to talk about your experience and achievements matters. But increasingly, there is another layer that can strengthen your credibility, confidence and career positioning: what other people say about you.

That's where social proof comes in.

In this episode of Procurement Pivots Podcast, Donna Bowden and Laura Sellers explore the role of social proof in procurement and how it can help procurement professionals and leaders better understand, evidence and communicate the value they bring.

And social proof is about much more than collecting a few LinkedIn recommendations.

We explore how feedback, advocacy and evidence from the people you've worked with can strengthen the story you tell about yourself, reinforce your professional reputation and even help you recognise strengths and impact you may have started to overlook yourself. Pasted markdown Pasted markdown

In this episode, we talk about:

• What social proof actually means in a procurement career
• Why knowing your value and evidencing your value are two different things
• The different forms of social proof you may already have
• Why other people's feedback can help build your own confidence
• How social proof can strengthen your wider career positioning and personal brand
• Why building an evidence bank can be so valuable throughout your procurement career
• How social proof can support career conversations, interviews and future opportunities
• The role of social proof in strengthening procurement's credibility and influence within an organisation

If you've ever found it uncomfortable talking about your own achievements, questioned the value you bring, or simply haven't thought about the evidence other people could provide to support your career story, this conversation may get you thinking differently.

Because sometimes the most powerful evidence of your impact isn't what you say about yourself.

It's what other people say about you.

Get in Touch

You can now receive even more insights from us and have the opportunity to engage with us privately by joining our Procurement Pivots email community.

Over the coming weeks, we'll be focusing on helping you to end 2026 on a high and think more intentionally about the year ahead.

Join the Procurement Pivots email community

If you'd like to explore working with Procurement Pivots Podcast, or with either of us individually, contact us at:

[email protected]

About Procurement Pivots Podcast

We're passionate about supporting the people behind procurement success.

Between us, we bring over 25 years of experience supporting procurement professionals and leaders in a variety of different ways. Through Procurement Pivots Podcast, we bring to life some of the conversations we're having in our coaching work around procurement careers, leadership, impact, influence and progression.

About Donna Bowden

Donna Bowden is a Procurement Positioning Career Coach and Founder of Narrate Your Career, supporting senior procurement professionals and leaders to better understand their value and strengthen how they position themselves for where they want to head next.

A key part of Donna's career positioning work is helping clients uncover the evidence behind their value, articulate their impact and build a stronger career story, reputation and visibility. Social proof can form an important part of that wider positioning strategy.

If you're a senior UK procurement professional and you'd like to explore working with Donna, you can book a confidential Career Momentum Call here:

https://www.narrateyourcareer.com/book-a-call 

Or download Donna's Proven Procurement CV Checklist here:

https://www.narrateyourcareer.com/CVchecklist 

About Laura Sellers

Laura Sellers is an Executive and Leadership Coach, specialising in coaching for procurement professionals and teams. Drawing on her background in procurement and procurement development, she supports individuals and organisations to develop leadership capability, strengthen self-awareness and elevate their impact, influence and performance.

Find out more about Laura and her work here:

https://www.coachingforprocurement.co.uk/

Or get in touch with Laura directly:

https://www.coachingforprocurement.co.uk/contact-me

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How interview-ready are you right now?

Not when you've got an interview in the diary. Right now.

Because procurement opportunities don't always arrive when you're expecting them to. An internal opportunity can come up, someone in your network can make an introduction, or an initial conversation can suddenly turn into something more.

And if you haven't interviewed for a while, that can feel pretty daunting.

In this episode of Procurement Pivots Podcast, Donna Bowden and Laura Sellers explore what it really takes to build interview confidence and why your preparation shouldn't necessarily start when the interview lands.

We talk about why interview confidence is about much more than preparing answers to potential questions, what you can do before you even know what the opportunity might be, and some of the mindset shifts that can completely change how you approach an interview.

We also explore:

• Why knowing your own value matters
• What you can prepare well before an interview
• Moving from interview nerves to having a conversation
• Why focusing too much on the competition can work against you
• Why an 'informal chat' might matter more than you think
• The mindset you take into each stage of the interview process
• Why becoming better at interviews can help you well beyond your job search

If it's been a while since your last interview, you're considering your next procurement move, or you simply want to feel more prepared when the right opportunity comes along, this episode is for you.

Get in Touch

You can now receive even more insights from us and have the opportunity to engage with us privately by joining our Procurement Pivots email community.

Over the coming weeks, we'll be focusing on helping you to end 2026 on a high and think more intentionally about the year ahead.

Join the Procurement Pivots email community here:

https://procurementpivots.com/email-list

If you'd like to explore working with Procurement Pivots Podcast, or with either of us individually, you can contact us at:

[email protected]

About Procurement Pivots Podcast

We're passionate about supporting the people behind procurement success.

Between us, we bring over 25 years of experience supporting procurement professionals and leaders in a variety of different ways. Through Procurement Pivots Podcast, we bring to life some of the conversations we're having in our coaching work around procurement careers, leadership, impact, influence and progression.

About Donna Bowden

Donna Bowden is a Procurement Positioning Career Coach and Founder of Narrate Your Career, supporting senior procurement professionals and leaders to better understand their value and strengthen how they position themselves for where they want to head next.

Her work includes interview coaching for senior procurement roles, helping clients get clearer on the value they bring, identify the evidence and stories that demonstrate it, and communicate this with greater confidence when the right opportunity comes along.

If you're a senior UK procurement professional and you'd like to explore working with Donna, you can book a confidential Career Momentum Call here:

Book a Career Momentum Call

Or download Donna's Proven Procurement CV Checklist here:

Download the Proven Procurement CV Checklist

About Laura Sellers

Laura Sellers is an Executive and Leadership Coach, specialising in coaching for procurement professionals and teams. Drawing on her background in procurement and procurement development, she supports individuals and organisations to develop leadership capability, strengthen self-awareness and elevate their impact, influence and performance.

Find out more about Laura and her work here:

https://www.coachingforprocurement.co.uk/

Or get in touch with Laura directly here:

https://www.coachingforprocurement.co.uk/contact-me

Send us Fan Mail

You already have a personal brand.

The question is, does it reflect who you are today, what you want to be known for and where you're heading next in your procurement career?

Personal branding can be an uncomfortable topic. It can sound loud, showy or inauthentic. But your personal brand isn't about becoming someone you're not. And it certainly isn't just about what you post on LinkedIn.

It's about how people experience you, what they associate with you and what's being said about you when you're not in the room.

In this episode of Procurement Pivots Podcast, Donna Bowden and Laura Sellers explore what personal branding really means for procurement professionals and leaders, and why it matters both inside your organisation and across the wider procurement market.

Because as your career evolves, your personal brand needs to evolve with it.

Sometimes, without even realising it, we can outgrow the brand we've built.

In this episode, we explore:

• What personal branding really means in procurement
• Why you already have a personal brand, whether you've intentionally created it or not
• Why personal branding doesn't have to mean being loud or constantly visible
• The importance of authenticity in how you show up
• How your personal brand can evolve as your career and leadership evolve
• How to decide what you most want to be known for
• Why taking control of your own career narrative matters
• How your CV, LinkedIn presence, meetings, conversations and everyday interactions all contribute to your personal brand
• Why consistency helps build trust and strengthen your reputation
• How your personal brand can influence the opportunities, projects and conversations that come your way

Your personal brand isn't about creating a polished version of yourself for other people.

It's about becoming more intentional about what you want to be known for and making sure the way you show up reinforces it.

So, what are you known for today?

And is that what you want to be known for in the next phase of your procurement career?

Get in Touch

If this episode got you thinking about your own personal brand, we'd love to hear what you want to be known for.

You can now receive even more insights from us and have the opportunity to engage with us privately by joining our Procurement Pivots email community.

Over the coming weeks, we'll be focusing on helping you make the most of the final part of 2026, end the year on a high and head into 2027 with greater clarity and confidence.

Join us here:

https://procurementpivots.com/email-list

If you'd like to explore working with Procurement Pivots Podcast, or with either of us individually, you can contact us at:

[email protected]

About Procurement Pivots Podcast

We are passionate about supporting the people behind procurement success.

Between us, we bring over 25 years of experience supporting procurement leaders in a variety of different ways, combining our diverse coaching expertise to bring to life the conversations from the coaching room that deserve a spotlight in today's challenging and ever-changing procurement landscape.

From procurement career positioning, visibility and career progression, through to leadership development, influence and navigating change, we've supported procurement professionals across every stage of their journey.

Because success in procurement isn't just about what you deliver. It's about how you show up, how you're perceived and how you create opportunities.

About Donna Bowden

Donna Bowden is a Procurement Positioning Career Coach and Founder of Narrate Your Career, supporting senior procurement professionals and leaders to strengthen how they position themselves for where they want to head next.

Personal branding forms an important part of Donna's wider career positioning work, helping clients become clearer about what they want to be known for and ensure their CV, LinkedIn presence, visibility, relationships and reputation consistently reinforce their value.

If you're a senior UK procurement professional and would like to explore working with Donna, you can book a confidential Career Momentum Call here:

https://www.narrateyourcareer.com/book-a-call

Or download Donna's Proven Procurement CV Checklist here:

https://www.narrateyourcareer.com/CVchecklist

About Laura Sellers

Laura Sellers is an Executive and Leadership Coach specialising in procurement professionals and teams. Drawing on her background in procurement and procurement development, she supports individuals and organisations to strengthen leadership capability, self-awareness, confidence and coaching skills to elevate their impact, influence and performance.

Laura works with procurement leaders, professionals and teams to navigate leadership challenges, develop their capability and create greater impact within their organisations.

Find out more about Laura and her work here:

https://www.coachingforprocurement.co.uk/

Or get in touch with Laura directly:

https://www.coachingforprocurement.co.uk/contact-me

Send us Fan Mail

There are 100 days to go until the end of 2026.

How do you want to feel when you get there?

And how do you want to step into 2027?

September can bring a renewed sense of energy. But it doesn't always last long. Workloads increase, demands return and before you know it, you're back in the day-to-day with the end of the year approaching quickly.

In this episode of Procurement Pivots Podcast, Donna Bowden and Laura Sellers explore how procurement professionals and leaders can use the final 100 days of 2026 to pause, reflect on the year so far and become more intentional about their career, leadership and priorities for the months ahead.

Because 100 days is still a significant amount of time.

Whether 2026 has gone exactly as you'd hoped, taken an unexpected turn, or there are things in your procurement career or role that you still want to change, there is time to make meaningful progress and set yourself up well for 2027.

Rather than immediately focusing on everything you haven't done, Donna and Laura encourage you to start by recognising what has already happened.

What are you proud of? What have you enjoyed? What have you learned? What challenges have you overcome? And what does that tell you about what you want more of in your career?

In this episode, we explore:

• Why looking back can be an important part of moving your procurement career forward
• The questions to ask yourself as you reflect on 2026 so far
• Why career reflection should go beyond targets, projects and achievements
• What's giving you energy in your career and what's draining it
• How you want to feel when you reach the end of 2026
• What would make you feel pleased, proud or delighted with how the year ends
• Identifying what could get in the way over the next 100 days
• What you might want to finish, change or leave behind in 2026
• How to turn your career goals and priorities into manageable milestones
• The role of writing things down, sharing your intentions and creating accountability
• Why recognising smaller wins can build confidence and self-belief
• How the progress you make now can create greater career momentum for 2027

Because this isn't about putting yourself under more pressure to achieve a huge list of goals before 31 December.

It's about being intentional.

A lot can happen in 100 days.

And the small, consistent actions you take now could change not only how you feel when you look back on 2026, but how you approach your procurement career and the opportunities ahead in 2027.

Get in Touch

If this episode resonated, we'd love to hear what you're working towards over the final 100 days of 2026. 

Go to www.procurementpivots.com/email-list to join our email community packed full of insights and tips to help you maximise these next 100 days and beyond.

If you'd like to explore working with Procurement Pivots Podcast, or with either of us individually, you can contact us at:

[email protected]

About the Procurement Pivots Podcast

We are passionate about supporting the people behind procurement success.

Between us, we bring over 25 years of experience supporting procurement leaders in a variety of different ways, combining our diverse coaching expertise to bring to life the conversations from the coaching room that deserve a spotlight in today's challenging and ever-changing procurement landscape.

We're proud to have built strong reputations as trusted coaches in the procurement space, supporting individuals and teams to navigate complexity, strengthen their leadership and progress with greater clarity and confidence.

From procurement career positioning, visibility and career progression, through to leadership development, influence and navigating change, we've supported procurement professionals across every stage of their journey.

Because success in procurement isn't just about what you deliver. It's about how you show up, how you're perceived and how you create opportunities.

About Donna Bowden

Donna Bowden is a Procurement Positioning Career Coach and Founder of Narrate Your Career, supporting senior procurement professionals and procurement leaders to understand and articulate their value, strengthen their career positioning and create the right opportunities for where they want to head next.

With over 20 years' experience supporting careers and a background in senior procurement recruitment, Donna combines deep knowledge of the procurement job market with career coaching to help senior procurement professionals build greater clarity, confidence, visibility and momentum.

Her work spans procurement career positioning, career direction, CVs, LinkedIn positioning, job-search strategy, networking, visibility and interview preparation, helping senior procurement professionals position themselves effectively for their next career move.

If you're a senior UK procurement professional considering your next role or career move and would like to explore working with Donna, you can book a confidential Career Momentum Call here:

https://www.narrateyourcareer.com/book-a-call

And if securing a new procurement role is part of your plans for the rest of 2026 or into 2027, you can download Donna's Proven Procurement CV Checklist here:

https://www.narrateyourcareer.com/CVchecklist

About Laura Sellers

Laura Sellers is an Executive and Leadership Coach specialising in procurement professionals and teams. Drawing on her background in procurement and procurement development, she supports individuals and organisations to strengthen leadership capability, self-awareness, confidence and coaching skills to elevate their impact, influence and performance.

Laura works with procurement leaders, professionals and teams to navigate leadership challenges, develop their capability and create greater impact within their organisations.

Find out more about Laura and her work here:

https://www.coachingforprocurement.co.uk/

Or get in touch with Laura directly:

https://www.coachingforprocurement.co.uk/contact-me

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The procurement job market has changed.

Competition for senior procurement roles has increased, hiring processes have evolved and technology is playing a greater role in how applications are screened.

Which means the CV that successfully opened doors for you two, three or four years ago might not be enough to secure an interview today.

In this episode of Procurement Pivots, Donna Bowden and Laura Sellers explore what senior procurement professionals need to think differently about when it comes to their CV in 2026.

Drawing on Donna's experience of reviewing thousands of procurement CVs since moving into procurement recruitment in 2013, alongside the CV work she now does with senior procurement clients, they unpack some of the most common reasons even experienced and highly capable procurement leaders can struggle to stand out on paper.

We discuss:

• Why a professionally written CV can still struggle to cut through in today's procurement market
• Why your CV shouldn't read like a job description
• The difference between describing what you've done and demonstrating the impact you've had
• Why results and metrics need context if you want the reader to understand their significance
• Why you can't expect a hiring manager or recruiter to join the dots for you
• How to bring more of your personality, leadership style and individual approach onto the page
• Why trying to showcase everything you're good at can actually dilute your positioning
• How to identify and elevate the two or three strengths you really want to be known for
• Why senior procurement professionals often downplay their achievements and value
• How to communicate your successes without feeling as though you're bragging
• Why your CV should be treated as a positioning tool rather than an administrative task
• How doing the deeper work behind your CV can strengthen your confidence and interview performance
• Why AI can sometimes make your CV blend in rather than stand out
• How to use AI as a tool without allowing it to take over your voice
• Why your CV needs to communicate where you're heading next, not simply where you've been
• And why, however strong it is, your CV alone isn't a job-search strategy

Because in a crowded senior procurement market, simply having the right experience isn't enough.

Your CV needs to help someone quickly understand your value, your impact, what differentiates you and why you make sense for where you're heading next.

And even then, it's only one part of how you position yourself to create and secure the right opportunities.

Get in Touch

If this episode resonated, we'd love to hear your thoughts.

When did you last look at your CV through the eyes of the person you're hoping will read it?

If you'd like to explore working with Procurement Pivots, or with either of us individually, you can contact us at:

[email protected]

About Procurement Pivots

We are passionate about supporting the people behind procurement success.

Between us, we bring over 25 years of experience supporting procurement leaders in a variety of different ways, combining our diverse coaching expertise to bring to life the conversations from the coaching room that deserve a spotlight in today's challenging and ever-changing procurement landscape.

We're proud to have built strong reputations as trusted coaches in the procurement space, supporting individuals and teams to navigate complexity, strengthen their leadership and progress with greater clarity and confidence.

From positioning, visibility and career progression, through to leadership development, influence and navigating change, we've supported procurement professionals across every stage of their journey.

Because success in procurement isn't just about what you deliver. It's about how you show up, how you're perceived and how you create opportunities.

About Donna Bowden

Donna Bowden is a Procurement Career Coach and Founder of Narrate Your Career, supporting senior procurement professionals to build clarity, confidence and visibility in their careers.

With over 20 years' experience in procurement leadership hiring, she brings deep insight into what hiring managers are really looking for and how to position yourself effectively to identify, create and secure the right opportunities in your procurement career.

If this resonates and you're a procurement leader in the UK who is serious about making a considered and intentional next move, you're very welcome to explore working with Donna here:

https://www.narrateyourcareer.com/book-a-call

Download Donna's Free Proven Procurement CV Checklist here: 

https://www.narrateyourcareer.com/CVchecklist

About Laura Sellers

Laura Sellers is an Executive and Leadership Coach, specialising in coaching for procurement professionals and teams. Drawing on her background in procurement and procurement development, she supports individuals and organisations to develop leadership capability, strengthen self-awareness and build coaching skills that elevate their impact, influence and performance.

Laura also leads an ILM-accredited coaching centre, helping procurement professionals and organisations develop practical coaching capability and gain recognised ILM coaching qualifications that strengthen leadership and create lasting impact across their teams.

Interested in developing your own coaching skills? Laura's next ILM coaching qualification cohort starts in September.

Find out more about Laura's ILM coaching qualifications here:

https://www.coachingforprocurement.co.uk/training

Or get in touch with Laura directly here:

https://www.coachingforprocurement.co.uk/contact-me

Send us Fan Mail

Procurement leadership, workplace boundaries, strategic leadership, career progression, prioritisation and high performance are more closely connected than you might think.

When we talk about boundaries at work, they're often associated with saying no, being less available or protecting our personal time.

But what if better boundaries could actually help you become a more impactful procurement leader?

In this episode of Procurement Pivots, Donna Bowden and Laura Sellers explore why boundaries aren't simply about doing less. Used well, they can create the clarity, focus and space you need to operate more strategically, make better decisions and deliver greater impact.

We discuss:

• Why boundaries are about far more than simply saying no
• Why the desire to add value and prove procurement's worth can make boundaries particularly difficult
• The relationship between boundaries, prioritisation and your ability to operate strategically
• Why creating space to think can ultimately improve your decisions and outcomes
• How to recognise the red flags that suggest you're repeatedly crossing your own boundaries
• Why frustration can be a sign that your boundaries, or even your values, are being compromised
• How repeatedly going above and beyond can turn an exception into an expectation
• Why being the busiest and most dependable person doesn't necessarily make you the obvious choice for progression
• How managing your workload and priorities can help you appear more in control and ready to take on greater responsibility
• Why boundaries can help procurement leaders move from operational busyness towards greater strategic impact
• How boundaries can give you greater control when so much around you feels outside your control
• Why your boundaries need to evolve as your role, career and life evolve

Because more busyness doesn't necessarily mean more impact. And it doesn't automatically lead to bigger and better opportunities.

Strong boundaries can help you become clearer about what matters, communicate expectations more effectively and create the conditions for both high performance and a sustainable procurement career.

Get in Touch

If this episode resonated, we'd love to hear your thoughts.

What boundaries have made the biggest difference to your impact, career or life? And which ones are still a work in progress?

If you'd like to explore working with Procurement Pivots, or with either of us individually, you can contact us at:

[email protected]

About Procurement Pivots

We are passionate about supporting the people behind procurement success.

Between us, we bring over 25 years of experience supporting procurement leaders in a variety of different ways, combining our diverse coaching expertise to bring to life the conversations from the coaching room that deserve a spotlight in today's challenging and ever-changing procurement landscape.

We're proud to have built strong reputations as trusted coaches in the procurement space, supporting individuals and teams to navigate complexity, strengthen their leadership and progress with greater clarity and confidence.

From positioning, visibility and career progression, through to leadership development, influence and navigating change, we've supported procurement professionals across every stage of their journey.

Because success in procurement isn't just about what you deliver. It's about how you show up, how you're perceived and how you create opportunities.

About Donna Bowden

Donna Bowden is a Procurement Career Coach and Founder of Narrate Your Career, supporting senior procurement professionals to build clarity, confidence and visibility in their careers.

With over 20 years' experience in procurement leadership hiring, she brings deep insight into what hiring managers are really looking for and how to position yourself effectively to identify, create and secure the right opportunities in your procurement career.

If this resonates and you're a procurement leader in the UK who is serious about making a considered and intentional next move, you're very welcome to explore working with Donna here:

https://www.narrateyourcareer.com/book-a-call

About Laura Sellers

Laura Sellers is an Executive and Leadership Coach, specialising in coaching for procurement professionals and teams. Drawing on her background in procurement and procurement development, she supports individuals and organisations to develop leadership capability, strengthen self-awareness and build coaching skills that elevate their impact, influence and performance.

Laura also leads an ILM-accredited coaching centre, helping procurement professionals and organisations develop practical coaching capability and gain recognised ILM coaching qualifications that strengthen leadership and create lasting impact across their teams.

Interested in developing your own coaching skills? Laura's next ILM coaching qualification cohort starts in September.

Find out more about Laura's ILM coaching qualifications here:

https://www.coachingforprocurement.co.uk/training

Or get in touch with Laura directly here:

https://www.coachingforprocurement.co.uk/contact-me

Send us Fan Mail

Procurement careers, career crossroads, career clarity, procurement leadership, career change and senior procurement job search can all collide at a point that many successful procurement leaders simply aren't expecting.

On paper, everything might look good.

You've built a successful procurement career. You're operating at leadership level. You're in a good organisation, perhaps with a team you enjoy working with.

But something doesn't feel quite right anymore.

You know you're ready for something different, or perhaps something more, but you're not entirely sure what that looks like yet. And when there isn't an obvious reason to leave, that uncertainty can be surprisingly difficult to navigate.

In this episode of Procurement Pivots, Donna Bowden and Laura Sellers explore the procurement career crossroads that no one really prepares you for and how to navigate it with greater clarity, confidence and intention.

We discuss:

• Why career crossroads can appear even when everything looks good on paper
• How changes in your life, priorities and values can change what you need from your career
• The danger of drifting through a successful career without consciously choosing where you're heading
• The early signs that something in your career may no longer be serving you
• Why career clarity doesn't start with your CV, job boards or the external market
• How understanding your strengths, values and what energises you can help uncover the right direction
• Why there's an important difference between responding to a crossroads and reacting to one
• How rushing into applications before you're clear can actually knock your confidence further
• Why the right answer isn't necessarily leaving your organisation, or even your current role
• How clarity helps you become more selective about what you say yes and no to
• Why people buy into your certainty, particularly at procurement leadership level
• The importance of understanding the why behind the what when deciding what comes next

Because being at a career crossroads doesn't necessarily mean you need to leave.

It might mean you need to pause long enough to understand what's changed, what matters to you now and what you really want your next chapter to look like.

Clarity gives you back choice. And choice allows you to move forward intentionally.

Get in Touch

If this episode resonated, we'd love to hear your thoughts.

If you'd like to explore working with Procurement Pivots, or with either of us individually, you can contact us at:

[email protected]

At a crossroads in your own procurement career?

If you're a senior procurement leader in the UK and would like to explore how Donna could support you to get clear on what comes next and position yourself to make it happen, you can book a confidential Career Momentum Call here:

https://www.narrateyourcareer.com/book-a-call

About Procurement Pivots

We are passionate about supporting the people behind procurement success.

Between us, we bring over 25 years of experience supporting procurement leaders in a variety of different ways, combining our diverse coaching expertise to bring to life the conversations from the coaching room that deserve a spotlight in today's challenging and ever-changing procurement landscape.

We're proud to have built strong reputations as trusted coaches in the procurement space, supporting individuals and teams to navigate complexity, strengthen their leadership and progress with greater clarity and confidence.

From positioning, visibility and career progression, through to leadership development, influence and navigating change, we've supported procurement professionals across every stage of their journey.

Because success in procurement isn't just about what you deliver. It's about how you show up, how you're perceived and how you create opportunities.

About Donna Bowden

Donna Bowden is a Procurement Career Coach and Founder of Narrate Your Career, supporting senior procurement professionals to build clarity, confidence and visibility in their careers.

With over 20 years' experience in procurement leadership hiring, she brings deep insight into what hiring managers are really looking for and how to position yourself effectively to identify, create and secure the right opportunities in your procurement career.

If this episode resonates and you're a procurement leader in the UK who is serious about making a considered and intentional next move, you're very welcome to explore working with Donna here:

https://www.narrateyourcareer.com/book-a-call

About Laura Sellers

Laura Sellers is an Executive and Leadership Coach, specialising in coaching for procurement professionals and teams. Drawing on her background in procurement and procurement development, she supports individuals and organisations to develop leadership capability, strengthen self-awareness and build coaching skills that elevate their impact, influence and performance.

Laura also leads an ILM-accredited coaching centre, helping procurement professionals and organisations develop practical coaching capability and gain recognised ILM coaching qualifications that strengthen leadership and create lasting impact across their teams.

Interested in developing your own coaching skills? Laura's next ILM coaching qualification cohort starts in September.

Find out more about Laura's ILM coaching qualifications here:

https://www.coachingforprocurement.co.uk/training

Or get in touch with Laura directly here:

https://www.coachingforprocurement.co.uk/contact-me

Send us Fan Mail

Successful Traits of Procurement Leaders: Coaching

Procurement transformation, procurement leadership, coaching skills, stakeholder management, influencing skills and leadership development are increasingly interconnected.

Successful procurement transformation isn't just about having the right strategy, processes, technology or technical procurement expertise. You also need to bring people with you.

In this episode of Procurement Pivots, Donna Bowden and Laura Sellers explore why developing coaching skills can give procurement leaders a competitive edge and help them create greater impact across their teams, stakeholders and organisations.

We challenge the perception that coaching is simply a "soft" leadership skill and look at how the capabilities behind great coaching can translate into very real procurement and commercial outcomes.

We discuss:

• Why coaching skills are increasingly relevant for today's procurement leaders
• Why you don't need to have all the answers to demonstrate credibility as a leader
• How asking better questions can strengthen your influence and impact
• Why procurement transformation requires you to bring people with you
• How coaching skills can help overcome resistance and create greater stakeholder buy-in
• The connection between coaching, stakeholder relationships and commercial outcomes
• How active listening, self-awareness and adaptability can strengthen your negotiation skills
• Why many procurement leaders may already be coaching without recognising it
• How developing your coaching skills can change not only how you lead others, but how you lead yourself
• The difference between using coaching skills informally and developing them more intentionally through training and reflective practice

Because successful procurement transformation isn't only about what you change.

It's also about how effectively you can engage, influence and enable the people who will ultimately make that transformation happen.

Get in Touch

If this episode resonated, we'd love to hear your thoughts.

If you'd like to explore working with Procurement Pivots, or with either of us individually, you can contact us at:

[email protected]

Interested in developing your own coaching skills?

Laura's next ILM coaching qualification cohort starts in September, for procurement professionals who want to add coaching skills to their leadership toolkit.

Find out more about Laura's ILM coaching qualifications here:

https://www.coachingforprocurement.co.uk/training

About Procurement Pivots

We are passionate about supporting the people behind procurement success.

Between us, we bring over 25 years of experience supporting procurement leaders in a variety of different ways, combining our diverse coaching expertise to bring to life the conversations from the coaching room that deserve a spotlight in today's challenging and ever-changing procurement landscape.

We're proud to have built strong reputations as trusted coaches in the procurement space, supporting individuals and teams to navigate complexity, strengthen their leadership and progress with greater clarity and confidence.

From positioning, visibility and career progression, through to leadership development, influence and navigating change, we've supported procurement professionals across every stage of their journey.

Because success in procurement isn't just about what you deliver. It's about how you show up, how you're perceived and how you create opportunities.

About Donna Bowden

Donna Bowden is a Procurement Career Coach and Founder of Narrate Your Career, supporting senior procurement professionals to build clarity, confidence and visibility in their careers.

With over 20 years' experience in procurement leadership hiring, she brings deep insight into what hiring managers are really looking for and how to position yourself effectively to identify, create and secure the right opportunities in your procurement career.

If this resonates and you're a procurement leader in the UK who is serious about making a considered and intentional next move, you're very welcome to explore working with Donna here:

https://www.narrateyourcareer.com/book-a-call

About Laura Sellers

Laura Sellers is an Executive and Leadership Coach, specialising in coaching for procurement professionals and teams. Drawing on her background in procurement and procurement development, she supports individuals and organisations to develop leadership capability, strengthen self-awareness and build coaching skills that elevate their impact, influence and performance.

Laura also leads an ILM-accredited coaching centre, helping procurement professionals and organisations develop practical coaching capability and gain recognised ILM coaching qualifications that strengthen leadership and create lasting impact across their teams.

If this episode has got you thinking about adding coaching skills to your own leadership toolkit, Laura's next ILM coaching qualification cohort starts in September.

Find out more about Laura's ILM coaching qualifications here:

https://www.coachingforprocurement.co.uk/training

Or get in touch with Laura directly here:

https://www.coachingforprocurement.co.uk/contact-me

Send us Fan Mail

Procurement stakeholder management, stakeholder relationships, procurement leadership, influence, business partnering and procurement careers are all critical to becoming a successful procurement leader.

Strong stakeholder relationships don't happen by chance. They're built through trust, curiosity, credibility and consistency.

In this episode of Procurement Pivots, we explore what successful procurement leaders do differently when it comes to building relationships and influence across their organisations.

Whilst technical procurement skills remain important, your ability to understand, engage and influence stakeholders will often determine your long-term success as a leader.

We discuss:

• Why successful stakeholder relationships start long before you need something
• The difference between managing stakeholders and genuinely building relationships
• How curiosity helps you understand what really matters to your stakeholders
• Why listening is one of the most underrated leadership skills in procurement
• How adapting your communication style builds trust and credibility
• Why consistency in your actions shapes your reputation over time
• The importance of understanding your stakeholders' priorities, pressures and motivations
• How every interaction contributes to procurement's reputation within the business
• Why influence is built through credibility, empathy and adding value, not authority
• Practical ways to strengthen your stakeholder relationships and increase your impact as a procurement leader

This episode builds on many of the themes we explore around procurement leadership, influence and career progression.

Because successful procurement leaders don't just manage stakeholders.
They build trusted relationships that create lasting influence.

New episodes weekly
Listen on Apple and Spotify.
Watch on YouTube: Procurement Pivots.

Get in Touch

If this episode resonated, we'd love to hear your thoughts.

And if you'd like to explore working with Procurement Pivots, or with either of us individually, you can contact us at [email protected]

About Procurement Pivots

We are passionate about supporting the people behind procurement success.

Between us, we bring over 25 years of experience supporting procurement leaders in a variety of different ways, and we combine our diverse coaching expertise to bring to life the conversations from the coaching room that deserve a spotlight in today's challenging and ever-changing procurement landscape.

We're proud to have built strong reputations as trusted coaches in the procurement space, supporting individuals and teams to navigate complexity, strengthen their leadership and progress with greater clarity and confidence.

From positioning, visibility and career progression, through to leadership development, influence and navigating change, we've supported procurement professionals across every stage of their journey.

Because success in procurement isn't just about what you deliver.
It's about how you show up, how you're perceived and how you create opportunities.

About Donna Bowden

Donna Bowden is a Procurement Career Coach and Founder of Narrate Your Career, supporting senior procurement professionals to build clarity, confidence and visibility in their careers. With over 20 years' experience in procurement leadership hiring, she brings deep insight into what hiring managers are really looking for and how to position yourself effectively to identify, create and secure the right opportunities in your procurement career.

If this resonates and you're a procurement leader in the UK who is serious about making a considered and intentional next move, you're very welcome to explore working with Donna here:

https://www.narrateyourcareer.com/book-a-call

About Laura Sellers

Laura Sellers is an Executive and Leadership Coach, specialising in coaching for procurement professionals and teams. Drawing on her background in procurement and procurement development, she supports individuals and organisations to develop leadership capability, strengthen self-awareness and build coaching skills that elevate their impact, influence and performance.

Laura also leads an ILM-accredited coaching centre, helping procurement professionals and organisations develop practical coaching capability and gain recognised ILM coaching qualifications that strengthen leadership and create lasting impact across their teams.

If you're a procurement professional or organisation looking to develop coaching and leadership capability, or explore an ILM coaching qualification, you can connect with Laura here:

https://www.coachingforprocurement.co.uk/contact-me